Wire terminal lug



M. B. .NIEMAN FehZZ, was.

WIRE TERMINAL LUG Filed Feb. 11, 1935 W N I mew/v .B. Mt'M/IN V Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to terminal lugs or clips for electrical conductors, and more particularly to such lugs or clip-s formed of sheet metal.

One object of my invention is to provide a sheet metal terminal lug of relatively simple and convenient form, one portion thereof comprising a pair of sleeves arranged in spaced relation side by side and being pierced intermediate of these sleeves by an aperture for engaging a binding post of a terminal, and another portion thereof, longitudinally spaced from the first mentioned portion, comprising a pair of laterally disposed tabs adapted for folding over and down upon the insulated ends of a pair of electrical wires or conductors for connecting sameto the terminal lug, the stripped ends of the said wires being inserted within the said sleeves and locked in place by turning down the nut of the binding post thereupon. Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet metal terminal lug or clip, one portion thereof comprising three folds or thicknesses of the metal forming a pair of laterally spaced sleeves for engaging the stripped extremities of a pair of electrical wires, there being an intermediate aperture for engaging a binding post of a terminal, and the other and longitudinally positioned portion of the same lug comprising a pair of laterally spaced tabs adapted for folding over inwardly and down upon the insulated ends of the said wires immediately back of the stripped ends thereof for protecting that insulation, whereby the said wires may be firmly and electrically connected to the said terminal. Still another object is to provide a form of metal blank or blank of any suitably conductive material adapted for conveniently forming up into a pair of laterally spaced sleeves for engaging the stripped ends of a pair of electrical wires, with an aperture for engaging a binding post formed between the sleeves, and a pair of separate and laterally spaced sleeves longitudinally aligned with the first named sleeves and adapted for engaging the insulation covered portions of the said wires immediately back of the stripped ends thereof.

With foregoing objects and advantages in View, attention is directed to the several structural features of the invention and its adaptation in use, as exemplified in one preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a terminal lug made in accordance with my invention, as mounted upon an instrument board for the purpose of electrically connecting a pair of conductors to that board.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the terminal lug of Figure 1 shown detached from the instrument board and its terminal, the ends of two wires or conductors being shown as engaged thereby.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the detached terminal lug, the subject matter of my invention.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is-a diagrammatic or plan View of a blank well adapted for forming up so as to eifectually embody and provide the constituent parts and elements of a terminal lug or clip made in accordance with my invention.

In practising this invention I provide a blank as indicated generally at Ill in Figure 6, the same being made of any suitably conductive material, such as metal, and including a medial section or fold I I and lateral sections, folds or Wings I2 and I3, which are designed to fold inwardly upon the medial section, as shown in the other views of the drawing, to form the completed device. The three sections, II, I2 and iii are demarked or laid out to extend longitudinally of the blank, as indicated in the dotted lines in Figure 6, and are of approximately equal area. As thus demarked the three sections are seen to be of an elongated form, so that when they are folded together they form the substantially elongated terminal lug or clip indicated generally at I4 in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The blank It is further demarked at opposite sides, at substantially medially aligned points, by incisions or notches I5 extended substantially half-way thru the outer sections I2 and I3, on a line extending transversely of the blank. The aligned side portions I 6 of the blank, as defined at one side of the notches I5, are extended somewhat beyond the side portions I! at the other side of said notches, for a purpose later to be pointed out. The side portions I6 of the sections ll, I2 and I3 are pierced with aligned apertures I8, so spaced and located upon a line extended transversely of the blank, that when the sections are rolled over and folded down together for the purpose of bringing these apertures into registry as shown in Figure 5, for forming in the completed device the medial binding post aperture I8a, there will be also formed and provided the laterally disposed wire engaging sleeves I6a, one at either side of the aperture l8a, adapted for engaging the stripped extremities 28a of the electrical wires or conductors 2i], normally covered by the insulation 20b. Similarly the'free marginal portions or tabs I! may be rolled over inwardly to form the sleeves I la for engaging the insulation covered ends 2% of the said wires, immediately back of the stripped extremities, thus protecting the insulation at those points and co operating with-the sleeves lfia for locking the Wires in place within the lug.

In the manufacture of this lug or clip the two pairs of sleeves [6a and Ila, are all preferably formed up ready for the free or loose insertion of the ends of the wires, in manner pointed out. That is to say, these sleeves are formed slightly larger in diameter than the stripped portions and insulated portions, respectively, of the said ends, so that the ends may be inserted'freely into place within the lug. In the use of the lug, after the wire ends are first inserted in the manner pointed out, the sleeves are pinched tightly down onto the wire ends, thus locking them firmly in place. When this is done, the lug maybe located upon the binding post 2| of the terminal 22 which is secured by a screw 23 to the instrument board 24. This is accomplished by pas-sing the binding post thru the aperture l8a of the lug, and turning down the nut Zia. upon the threaded post, and tightly down upon the lug. In this operation the nut preferably overlaps the sleeves [6a, as shown in Figure 1, whereby means is afforded for eifectually pinching and pressing the walls of the sleeves inwardly upon the stripped ends of the wires for locking them in place and also for insuring good electrical connection.

This device affords a simple and effective means for connecting a pair of wires to a terminal block or instrument board. It has other and varied uses however, as for connecting a pair of wires to a single wire, or for connecting the parted ends of a broken wire. And while I have herein shown and described a certain embodiment of my invention and certain structural features thereof, it is understood that I may vary the structural features of the invention so as best to adapt same to practical use, not departing however from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 7

I claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a blank of conductive material dimensioned for demark ing into three substantially parallel sections adapted for folding together; upon the central section to form a terminal lug, the blank being notched at opposite edges substantially half thru the outer sections, portions of the blank at one side of these notches being extended somewhat beyond the portions at the other side of the notches, the portions of the sections at the extended side of the blank being pierced with apertures so spaced and located in alignment, that when the three sections are rolled and folded together for bringing the said apertures into registry there will be also formed two laterally disposed wire engaging sleeves for engaging the stripped extremities of a pair of electrical conductors and two somewhat larger sleeves longitudinally aligned with the first mentioned sleeves for engaging the adjacent insulation covered portions of those conductors immediately back of the stripped ends thereof, whereby said first mentioned sleeves'will be positioned against spreading by a'binding post engaged in the apertures and will be clamped by a meanscarried by the binding post.

2. A wire terminal lug formed of a blank of sheet metal notched at opposite edges and fold able transversely of a line passing through said notches into three approximately equal sections, the resulting portions of the blank at one side of the defining notches being rolled over and folded down upon the medial section, said medial section having an aperture therethrough, each fold having an aperture therethrough, said apertures being aligned to'form a three-fold binding post end with sleeves at the b-ights of the folds for.

engaging the stripped extremities of twowire conductors, the said sleeves being held against spreading by a binding post engaged in said apertures and the end portions of the blank at the other side of the defining notches being rolled and folded down over upon said medial section to form sleeves for engaging the insulation covered ends of the wires immediately backof the said stripped extremities thereof.

of comprising three superimposed folds of metal, each fold having an aperture therethrough, said apertures being aligned to engage a binding post, there being a pair of relatively small sleeves provided at the bights of the folds for engaging the stripped extremities of wires, and held against spreading, by the engaged binding post and back of said pair of sleeves a pair of integrally connected, laterally spaced and relatively large sleeves longitudinally aligned with the aforesaid smaller sleeves, for engaging the insulation covered portions of the wires immediately back of the stripped extremities thereof.

MARVIN B. NIEMAN.

3. A terminal lug of sheet metal, one end there- 

